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We all know that getting a sufficient amount of calcium is important for strong and healthy bones. Most dietary guidelines urge us to get most, if not all, of our calcium from dairy – low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, etc. However, the verdict is still out on whether dairy is even good for us and with a good portion of people being lactose intolerant, we need to ensure that we have other ways of getting our calcium.

This is especially important for pregnant women. As babies develop, they need the calcium to build strong bones and teeth, as well as a healthy heart, muscles, and nerves. If the mother doesn’t get enough calcium during pregnancy, the baby will take it from wherever it can. This usually means stripping it from the bones of its mother, which can cause her issues later in life.

If you are looking to up your calcium intake without all the dairy, here are some great options:Dark leafy greens – Kale, spinach and collard greens are packed with calcium. Two cups of raw kale contain 188mg of calcium, or 19% of your daily value. Eat these greens fresh in a salad, blended into a smoothie (see recipe below), or sautéed with olive oil and garlic. This is one of my favorite kale salads. It is super easy to make and saves really well overnight. And sauteed kale is one of my favorite side dishes. Once again, it only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. Some dark leafy greens, like spinach, are high in oxalic acid which may affect your absorption of calcium. So make sure you vary your veggies to get the most bang for your buck!

Almonds – These delicious nuts have about 75mg of calcium per 1/4 cup. Eat them as a snack, throw them into salads, make them into almond butter, or once again, throw them into a smoothie.

Sesame Seeds – These little guys have 88mg of calcium per tablespoon. They are easy and delicious to incorporate into any salad recipe. This broccoli salad with sesame seeds looks delicious and packs the additional calcium punch of broccoli. Two cups of cooked broccoli have 124 mg!

Firm Tofu – One half cup serving of firm tofu contains about 227 mg of calcium. Saute it up with some sesame seeds and add to a stirfry.

Bok Choy – One cup of bok choy has roughly 74 mg of calcium. So if you saute up the bok choy with the tofu, and add a tablespoon of sesame seeds you are at 39% of your recommended calcium intake!

If you are still eating some dairy, or are only mildly lactose intolerant, adding some kefir could be beneficial. Kefir is 99% lactose free and one cup contains about 30% of your daily recommended value. I make my own kefir (you can read about that here, where I also describe the probiotic benefits of kefir on your digestive system), but you can also buy the Lifeway plain variety at Whole Foods or another health foods store. When it comes to any dairy product, I always recommend going full fat and organic. You want it as close to natural as you can get!

To start your day off right, try one of my favorite smoothie recipes below:

Strawberry Banana Green Smoothie

2 cups of dark leafy greens, like spinach, kale, collards

1 ripe banana

5 strawberries

Handful of almonds (roughly 15 nuts)

1 Tbsp chia seeds

1/2 cup to 1 cup kefir, depending on how thick you like your smoothie (If not eating any dairy, you can use almond or some other nut milk, or water)

Ice is optional, I usually don’t include it

Just blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. You are not only starting your day off with a good amount of calcium, but also other important nutrients, omega 3 fatty acids, and protein.

My 75-pound pit bull Sophie is my baby. I have had her since she was only 5 weeks old and in that time, I have learned quite a bit about myself. As many dog lovers can attest to, raising a dog will allow you to grow as a person, understand unconditional love, and test your patience on a regular basis.

However, I would take it even further. I consider my dog to be one of my greatest teachers. She was a turning point in my life. Well, her and Cesar Millan.

I got Sophie when I was 26. I was working in marketing at the time, in a long-term relationship, and going out and getting blitzed on the weekends. If I was truly honest with myself back then, there were a lot of areas in my life that weren’t quite gelling. In comes Sophie. She was a whole lot of puppy and a handful to take care of. Okay let’s be real, several handfuls. While weighing in at only 7 pounds when I got her, she quickly grew into an energetic ball of pure muscle.

Having little to no experience in how to train a dog, I was taken by surprise. Our walks were regular disasters that ended with me in tears and holes in my shirtsleeves. I began to dread taking her out, would get nervous any time she looked like she was going to misbehave, and would yell and scream at her when she would inevitably treat the leash like a tug-of-war toy.

I needed help. And like any dedicated modern mom, I turned to the TV for answers. Hello Cesar Millan Dog Whisperer. Cesar appeared to have superhuman powers of turning any dog, no matter how aggressive or misbehaved, into a perfectly well adjusted canine specimen. And the trick was he didn’t really do a whole lot of anything. The change came about simply through his energy.

This was the first time I began to think about the energy that I was exuding. If my dog could pick up on it, how was it affecting other areas of my life? Cesar had many gems for me during this time, including something along the lines of “Your dog is your mirror”. Well if my dog was my mirror, I was putting out some pretty chaotic schnizz into the world!

I began to realize that my nervous energy during the walk was the result of me projecting my fears into the future. I would see her jumping for the leash and going crazy, it would make me anxious, my body would respond to those negative thoughts and then, bam! Sophie would respond to those signals. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Dogs don’t live in the past or the future. They are the golden beacons of mindfulness! The only moment for them is this moment.

It all started to click. To further my understanding and practice of mindfulness, I took up yoga after a hiatus of several years. I suddenly became very conscious of my own reactions, thoughts, and energy. And over time, my whole life began to change. Sophie started behaving better. I finally found my true passion. It didn’t happen overnight; it was, and continues to be, a gradual journey. BUT, it all started with Sophie and her leash biting. As the wise Cesar would always say, you don’t get the dog you want. You get the dog you need.

Basically, the moral of this story is: Keep your eyes and heart open. Your teachers, mentors, and gurus are all around you. They just may not take the shape that you expect.

I grew up in Texas. Therefore I think it’s natural that I love a good margarita. It’s the perfect cocktail for those hot summer nights. I know many of you are still frozen right now, but keep this in mind for July or just turn up your heater and pretend!

I know what you might be wondering…yes, you can be a health coach and still enjoy a good cocktail every now and then! Multiple studies have found that having some alcohol is actually good for you. Most of the world’s centenarians (those who live to be 100+) drink. Many drink everyday! The key is moderation. If you have one too many, all of the potential health benefits go away. Women should stick to 1-2 drinks per evening, while men should have no more than 2-3.

INGREDIENTS

3 shots of tequila

½ shot of organic raw agave nectar

2 limes, juiced

2 tangerines, juiced

DIRECTIONS

In this video you will learn how to make a delicious margarita using natural ingredients and minimal sugar!

Quinoa bowls are one of my favorite weeknight meals. I typically make them at least once a week. They are delicious, versatile, healthy, and QUICK! You are busy, and I know that sometimes it can seem difficult to put together a solid meal after a long day of work. I feel you. The last thing you want to do is stand in your kitchen chopping, sauteing, and mixing for hours.

Well one of the great things about quinoa is that it cooks in roughly 12 minutes. This whole meal is ready in about 30. It’s also gluten free and vegan. If you wanted to, you could add another protein like chicken breast or a baked tilapia, but personally I think it’s awesome by itself.

This makes roughly two main course meals or four side dish-sized servings.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 large red onion, cut into large chunks

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1 lime

1 large garlic clove or 2 small cloves

5 Tbsp olive oil, separated

3 large curly kale leaves, or 5 smallish ones

1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 avocado, sliced

1 Tbsp roasted flax seeds

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is heating, chop your onion and halve your tomatoes. Lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pop into the oven for 20 minutes. Stir them about halfway through.

Combine your quinoa in a pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and the quinoa have sprouted that little curly tail.

Rinse your kale leaves and tear them from the stalk in bite-sized pieces. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat in a large stainless steel skillet with a lid. Add your kale, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir a couple of times while the kale is cooking. You may need to turn down the heat a little, so just keep an eye on it. I actually kind of like it when it gets a bit burned and crunchy

When your quinoa is cooked, add 1 Tbsp of olive oil, the juice of 1 small lime, garlic clove(s) pressed, flax seeds, red pepper flakes and the salt to the quinoa. Stir to mix. Then stir in the rest of the ingredients, with the exception of the avocado. Spoon into bowls and add a few avocado slices and delicious salsa on top. And dinner is done!

I had a request a few days ago for some recipes incorporating honey. I have been brainstorming some fun ways to use the sweet stuff in more meals and I created the following salmon taco recipe. There will be more honey recipes forthcoming, but these were just so freakin’ tasty I thought they deserved their own post! I made them yesterday with some homemade margaritas, and oh baby, did it hit the spot. I will also post the margarita recipe soon…but think good tequila, minimal sugar or processed ingredients, and lots of freshness!

This recipe is enough for two, although you will probably have leftover avocado cream.

For the avocado cream, you will need:

1/2 cup kefir (I use my homemade stuff..which was kind of the inspiration for this cream, but you can easily use the store bought variety or even plain yogurt should work)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup cilantro

1/4 cup yellow onion, diced

Juice of 1/2 lime

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Begin by making your salmon marinade. Whisk together lime juice, honey, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over your salmon and allow to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Ideally, I would have your fish person skin and cut the fish for you. I forgot that step, and ended up having to remove the skin as well. Good practice, but I definitely butchered it a little bit…pun intended.

While salmon is marinating, heat up your broiler. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, place your salmon on the cookie sheet. Broil roughly 6″ from the heat source for 10 minutes or until salmon is done. My broiler has two heat settings, but some don’t. For those who do, I usually start on the low setting for 8 minutes, then check it and finish at the high setting for a minute or two. This makes the top nice and browned.

For the avocado cream, simply place all of your ingredients into a food processor (or blender) and blend till it is nice and creamy. If you like a little extra spice, leave the jalapeno seeds in. If not, definitely take them out. I have also found that the spice level of jalapenos varies greatly, so taste a little bit before you put it in. Or start with half the jalapeno and then taste the cream. You can always add the other half, but once it’s in there you can’t take it out again!!

Voila! There you have delicious tacos and avocado cream! I would serve with warm corn tortillas, some type of green (cabbage would be standard for a fish taco, but I opted for sautéed kale because that is what I had on hand) and salsa. I hope you enjoy these as much as my husband and I did!!

Scallops are one of my go-to items if I ever feel like having a bit of a fancier dinner. I don’t know what it is, but they have a certain air of sophistication about them. In this version, seared scallops are paired with a spinach lemon pesto (inspired by a recipe from the Gluten-Free Girl Every Day Cookbook) and roasted asparagus. I also made some sauteed radishes with mint because we received some in our box this week and I never know what to do with them. I made this recipe and it turned out freakin’ delicious!

INGREDIENTS

3/4 lb sea scallops (about 10-12 scallops for 2 people)

5 Tbsp of olive oil, divided

1 Tbsp butter

1 bunch of asparagus

1 cup baby spinach

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 garlic clove, peeled

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS

For the pesto: Combine the spinach, pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest and the juice of 1/2 of the lemon in a food processor. Process until crumbly. Add 3 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 Tbsp at a time, until the pesto is almost creamy.

For the Roasted Asparagus: Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Wash your asparagus and trim off the hard/brittle part of the stalk. Lay your asparagus on a cookie sheet covered with foil. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp of olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, and salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes.

For the scallops: Seared scallops are really easy and fast to make. There are only two rules to follow: make sure your pan is hot and don’t overcook them! Start by rinsing your scallops in cold water and patting dry on a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil and 1 Tbsp of butter in a heavy pan (I use my cast iron skillet) over high heat. Wait until the fat has started smoking a little bit…that’s how you know it’s ready. Pop your scallops on and cook for a mere 1 1/2 minutes per side. Then remove them from heat immediately.

DIRECTIONS

In a mason jar, mix your cacao powder with your almond milk until blended. Add all the other ingredients and stir until they are completely mixed. Pop that jar in the fridge overnight and when you wake up you will have overnight oatmeal ready to go!

If you like chocolate in your breakfast, then by all means, you can eat this for breakfast. It is also a great dessert or sweet-esque afternoon snack.

I originally got the idea for this salad from my brother. He was talking about a delicious side salad that he had made using a lot of mint. The light bulb went off! I love adding herbs to my salads because I think it adds such a nice little flavor kick, but I hadn’t tried mint before. This salad is light and refreshing, perfect for warmer weather or if you have been eating lots of heavy meals and need to freshen it up a bit. The recipe below makes two main course servings or four side salad servings. I think this would be amazing to serve with pretty much any grilled protein…chicken, salmon, steak, yum. Or it is a great light meal on its own too!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked quinoa

2 cups arugula

1/2 pound of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 handfuls)

2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped

A few red onion slivers to taste

2 Tbsp mint, chopped

For the dressing:

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 Tbsp olive oil

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

To cook quinoa, rinse 1 cup in cold water and drain. Add the quinoa and 2 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Let cooked quinoa cool a bit, at least 15 minutes.

Add your eggs to another pot of water, bring to a rolling boil and cook for roughly 9 minutes. Afterwards, drain and let the eggs cool in a bath of cold water. When they have cooled, peel and chop.

Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over the salad. The squeezer gets a lot more juice out, so if you are squeezing by hand you may want to use the entire lemon. Drizzle over the 2 Tbsp of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss all the ingredients and you are good to go!

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 400. Arrange all your veggies in a single layer on a cooking sheet. Depending on how many veggies you are using, you may have to use two sheets. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle on olive oil. Typically, I don’t measure my olive oil, but for a full sheet I would say use roughly 2 Tbsp. I then toss the veggies with my hands to ensure they have all been seasoned and oiled up!

Pop them in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring once so that they brown evenly.

INGREDIENTS

1 bag of Brussels Sprouts (not sure how much it weighed, but came out to about 30 total), halved

2 garlic cloves

Olive oil

2 sweet Italian sausages

1 fennel bulb, cut into thin strips

1/2 pecans, chopped

Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place your brussels sprouts on a baking sheet. Drizzle about 1 Tbsp of olive oil over the brussels sprouts, season with salt and pepper, and 1 clove of pressed garlic. Toss to coat and pop in the oven. Set your timer for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, toss them to make sure they are getting equally browned on both sides and not burned.

Combine the red onion and cranberries in another baking dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and the other pressed garlic clove. Toss to coat. Add to the oven and roast for 15 minutes. (I did this after I stirred the brussels sprouts halfway through their baking cycle.)

Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa in cold water and drain. Bring the quinoa and vegetable broth to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

While everything else is cooking, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a stainless steel pan over medium heat. Add the fennel bulb strips and saute for 5 minutes or so. Take the sweet Italian sausage out of its casing and add to the pan with the fennel, breaking up the pork with a spatula (it will have the consistency of ground meat). Continue cooking both the fennel and the sausage till the sausage is cooked through.

Heat another pan over medium heat, and add your chopped pecans. Heat, stirring frequently until the pecans are toasted.

If you time it right, everything should be done cooking around the same time. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and toss together. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. You can also add freshly chopped herbs (which I was originally going to do…but forgot). I think a little rosemary or sage would taste delicious added to this recipe!

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It’s time to reclaim her and set her free, so that you can begin the living the life you have hardly dared to dream of. Sister, it is time to come home.